THEATER IN REVIEW

THEATER IN REVIEW; Old Story, New Perspective And Wordless Goose Bumps

By NEIL GENZLINGER

Published: December 11, 2003

'Nativity: A Life Story'

United Palace

Although ''Nativity: A Life Story'' is built around powerful singing voices, its most potent moments come unexpectedly from performers who never utter a sound. The show tells the Christmas story in song, dialogue and dance, and it's the dance that delivers the goose bumps.

''Nativity,'' written by James Stovall and Hattie Winston, has become an annual event along the lines of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, although it is nowhere near that class in stagecraft. The production values are reminiscent of an elementary-school pageant, rickety scenery and all. Now that the show has settled into the gorgeous United Palace, at 175th Street and Broadway (after using other theaters for eight years), this seems incongruous.

But there is no faulting the voices. BeBe Winans, Stephanie Mills and other fine belters deliver the songs, a mix of gospel, world music and other styles, with three choirs lending support. Nyjah Moore Westbrooks has a highlight singing a version of ''Go Tell It on the Mountain'' with an arresting cockiness. A medley of ''Have You Heard About the Baby'' and ''Glory to the Newborn King'' featuring Maurice Lauchner and Dwayne Grayman is rousing.

The most effective moments of all, though, are provided by Anika Ellis and Brian Hawthorne, who dance with elegant understatement during the traditional spiritual ''Most Done Traveling,'' and by Shirley Black Brown Coward, whose dance as Mr. Winans sings ''Mary Did You Know'' is heart-stopping.

''Nativity'' bills itself as telling the story of Christ's birth from Mary's viewpoint, but to the writers' credit, this is generally a subtle shift in emphasis rather than a distracting gimmick. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 20. NEIL GENZLINGER

Photo: BeBe Winans and Shirley Black Brown Coward in ''Nativity.'' (Photo by Richard Termine for The New York Times)